


About Henry

by ceaselesslyinlove



Series: After South Married North [2]
Category: North and South (UK TV), North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South - Elizabeth Gaskell | UK TV
Genre: Clearly not, F/M, John wants to discuss a certain past suitor of Margaret's, Married Couple, but really was there ever a competition Margaret?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 12:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14020017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ceaselesslyinlove/pseuds/ceaselesslyinlove
Summary: John wants to discuss Henry's failed marriage proposal to a very surprised Margaret.





	About Henry

**Author's Note:**

> *watches the train scene for inspiration*  
> *starts ugly crying*
> 
> (I will normally not update this regularly, simply because I don't want to rush all the ideas I have out at once and suddenly I'm forcing stories out. I also had a sudden awakening of energy this past week and had to ride the wave out, thus an unusual weekly update for this collection.)
> 
> As you may notice as you read, I have included quotes from the series and the book. Depending on what I am writing, both or one or the other may appear. 
> 
> Thank you for any comments and kudos, y'all are the sweetest.

“Was it Henry?”

They’re spending a relaxing evening in the drawing room, she reading a novel, and he glancing over the newspaper he never got around to reading in the morning.  John works so much that he may be the only man in Milton reading his morning paper in the evening.  Mrs. Thornton (despite being the new Mrs. Thornton, Margaret still cannot think of her as Hannah or even mother yet) was spending one of evenings with Fanny, a practice she had taken up soon after her daughter’s marriage.

Margaret looks up from her book to see her husband intently looking at her, newspaper laying forgotten on his lap. She wonders just how long he’s been studying her.

“What?” She not so eloquently responds, and he slightly huffs, his eyes narrowing as he contemplates her.

“It was Henry who had proposed to you first, was it not?”

Surprised, she nods, wondering at such a start to a conversation.  “Yes…”

He slightly nods, as if confirming a suspicion.  “I had wondered,” he says, as if putting an end to the conversation, turning back to his paper. 

It starts and ends so quickly, Margaret is left baffled, staring at John and watching as he looks just a little too hard at his paper.

Just when she goes to question him, he seems to overcome some sort of hesitation, as he forces himself to face her again.

“How did he propose?”

She can’t help her surprise.  “Why on Earth do you want to know about Henry’s proposal to me?

“A man is always a little jealous and curious of men who had the chance of their wife’s love before them…and besides you once implied you had been blunt with past marriage proposals.”

_“I'm... I'm sorry... to be so blunt. I've not learnt how to... how to refuse... how to respond when a... when a man talks to me as you just have.”_

Slightly cringing at having to remember that speech of hers, she quickly moves to rectify one part of his comment.

“Henry was the only one who proposed to me before you.”

He appears visibility surprised by that.  “Really?”

She stifles a laugh.  “Do you mean to tell me you truly believe I did have…how did you put it, _have to disappoint so many men that offer me their heart_?”

His lips move ever so slightly, his tell-tale sign he’s forcing down a smile.  “Margaret, you’re a beautiful and smart woman, it’s more surprising you have not had multiple proposals from all sorts of smitten men.”

Blushing, she’s touched to know that John believes any man would want her, but she refuses to be distracted. 

 “I have to disappoint you, John.  You and Henry were the only men who had the misfortune of proposing and facing the horrors of my refusals.”  An image of Mr. Bell and the revelation of his almost proposal comes into her mind, but she decides that’s a conversation for another day.  She’s not quite sure how John would respond to that.

He rolls his eyes and suddenly seems to remember what he asked prior to her revelation.

“Well? Will you tell me how he proposed?”

There’s an intense look in his eyes and she knows he won’t let this question go, even if she were to ignore it now.

“Henry came to visit me in Helstone.  It was sudden and there was no real reason for his visit…I should have realized something was amiss, but I had no reason to believe he cared for me.  During that time, we were taking a walk one day and he began to ask me.  After Edith’s wedding in London, I had spoken to Henry about my perfect wedding, how I wanted to wake up on a sunny day, put on my best dress, and walk to the church.  He brought that up as we walked by the Helstone church and was trying to say how he hoped I would want to do that with him.  I stopped him before he could really finish.”

She doesn’t miss his sardonic smile at that. 

“I tried to tell him that I cared for him like a friend and that I did like him, just not romantically.  He asked if there was someone else…as if that was the only reason I’d say no,” she adds a little bitterly.  “I tried clarifying that I just did not want to marry and did not want to marry him.  He left almost immediately after that, although I don’t think he truly gave up.  Edith kept encouraging him that one day I may love him.”

She frowns slightly, remembering Henry and wishing she could had done more to push him away.  She still believes she had been as honest as she could, but men like Henry never truly took no for an answer.  Edith had not helped either, encouraging him at any moment she could.  Unfortunately, it took falling for another man to finally put an end to his hopes for her.  And that’s why she appreciates John.  Despite loving her regardless of everything, he never made her feel uncomfortable with any continued vows to win her.  He had kept his promise on that awful day. _“Now I love, and will love. But do not be afraid of too much expression on my part.”_

“I feel a bit better knowing you cut off his proposal as well,” he smirks, letting her know he’s teasing.

“It’s something you two would have in common,” she teases back, lightly laughing at the idea.

“Do you think you would have been with him some day…if we have never seen each other on that platform?”  John asks, a thoughtful, but pained look on his face.

“No,” she answers instantly.  “After knowing you, I could never be with someone else.” She flushes at how quickly she says it, but she can’t imagine even considering marrying another person besides John.  “When I left Milton, I had made up my mind to never marry actually.  It was only you or no one.”

She admits this softly, still bad at pronouncing her affections out loud like this.

His gaze softening, John stands and crosses the floor to where she sits.  He kneels in front of her, taking her face gently into his hands, his fingers soft against her skin.

“Even if we had not found each other on the platform, I still believe we would have found each other again,” he comforts her gently, his eyes beseeching hers.

“You think so?” Her hand moves to cup his face, entranced by his belief in their inevitable reunion.

“Yes, my love.  I would have found some way to see you again.  I would have tried to remain indifferent in your presence, but I’m sure at some point, by either some look or speech of yours that could stir that flame in me, I would have broken at your feet and begged you to accept me,” he turns and kisses her hand, like he’s securing that idea like a promise.

For once, not bothering to care that they’re not in the safety of their bedroom, she kisses him and enjoys the grin that spreads across his face.

“That reassures me,” she whispers against his lips. “Now, do you have anymore Henry Lennox questions for me, or can we be quite done with this interview?”

He laughs, pulling her up so they’re facing each other.  “I believe I'm done, Margaret,” he smiles and brings her in for another kiss.  

**Author's Note:**

> Henry had to be brought up. He was the first man to propose to Margaret after all. 
> 
> I hope you book readers caught on to John's idea of how he would have begged Margaret back again if the train never brought them together. The endings of the book and the series are both wonderful, so I wanted to pay homage to Gaskell's original ending.
> 
> I have many sweet/smutty/angsty ideas for these two in the future. Stay tuned and leave a comment/kudos if inclined!


End file.
